'Banshee' and 'Ripper Street' picked up for second seasons; 'Justified' scores series-best ratings

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A pair of new cable series got good news Tuesday (Jan. 29). BBC America’s “Ripper Street” and Cinemax’s “Banshee” were both picked up for second seasons.

“Ripper Street,” set in 1889 London in the aftermath of the Jack the Ripper murders, has scored strong ratings in the U.K. and performed solidly in its BBC America debut as well.

“Banshee,” executive produced by Alan Ball (“True Blood”), earned mostly positive reviews and launched to about half a million viewers, a solid number for Cinemax.

Other TV news bites:

– The season premiere of “Justified” snagged the show’s biggest audience ever. Live +7 ratings gave the episode 5.3 million viewers, surpassing the series premiere (4.2 million) as the show’s most-watched installment. The Season 4 debut tied the series premiere for the best draw among adults 18-49 (2.5 million).

– Former “Ugly Betty” star Eric Mabius will guest on an episode of “Blue Bloods” in February. He’ll play a multimillionaire who gives much of his money to charity and who may be hiding something. The episode involves a cold case with ties to his family. [TVLine]

– NBC has ordered one extra episode of “Chicago Fire” this season. That brings the rookie drama’s total to 23. [Deadline]

– Scott Wolf has landed a recurring part on Season 2 of TNT’s “Perception.” He’ll play Donnie, an ambitious federal prosecutor who’s transferred to Chicago and has a history with Kate (Rachael Leigh Cook) — a marital history, to be more specific.

– Magician Criss Angel will star in a new unscripted series on Spike TV. Angel, whose previous series “Mindfreak” ran on A&E, will showcase new illusions and the process of creating them on the currently untitled show. It’s scheduled to begin production in the spring.